Walked down to Dharamasala to have a look at Eternal Creation's centre of operations (Frances and Rory's business - refer Saturday blog - http://www.eternalcreation.com) it is located along a high river stream that is full of large boulders and with a fantastic view up towards the Triund saddle and the Dhauladhar range. The workshop is off a small lane that follows the course of the stream and apparently has been the location for water piping upgrade for the past few years. Unfortunately via hand and due to both the location and the angles has been quite troubling for the road crew. When we passed them, they had a trench just half a meter wide but two and a half to three meters deep. Apparently they have been known to use dynamite to blast the rock to achieve the necessary depth, unfortunately with the occasional debris for neighboring houses, workshops etc.
Amazing range of fabrics and activity and we had picked it right at lunch. Great timing. The rush had been on for the past month to fill Christmas orders in time, now the focus was on the summer 2012 range.
From the workshop we were taxied across to the Norbulingka institute ( http://www.norbulingka.org/) which is a landscaped tibetan learning environment designed to maintain and develop traditional tibetan culture and art. It is a beautiful location with stonework, colour, water gardens and art workshops that house Tibetan artists and their students. The temple houses amazing paintings on the walls containing stories and teaching as painted by Thanka artists. The main statue in the temple is a 14ft gilded copper Buddha. The workshops included wood, metal, thanka painting amongst others and the level of detail and craftsmanship was impressive.
We taxied back to the base of the rise to McLeodganj where we opted to hike back up. Beyond great exercise, the serenity of the mountains surpasses the passing traffic and is humbling. On the way we were also privileged to see the largest monkeys we have yet seen in India. These guys were the size of a primary school child, had dark faces, orange brown eyes and haloed white beard/facial hair. Thankfully they were having a great time stripping the trees and so we moved through unmolested, not that it was a definite, but you never know your luck. Stopped in at a Tibetan woodworker who offered us a seat to cool down and explained that he now carved for the challenge. He was in the process of carving an Asian face with open scull which would be detailed with flowers and was to express the beauty of mind and spirit.
Back to the hotel and wifi, only to meet our friend from NY again. We were quickly corralled into service which neither of us could avoid and which is making the use of the common room quite testing. Still once in his chair we are at least guaranteed that unless someone else is suckered in we will be able to quarantine ourselves, located around the corner in the cyber cafe. I know this may sound selfish, but you assist someone to the bathroom, who you don't know, twice and come back for more.. Anyway service is part of life so... Just don't help him up until we exit the cafe... Sharing is caring.